


we walk amidst the shadows

by khrysallis



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - MAMA (Music Video), Gen, Human Experimentation, Monster MV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 00:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8689411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khrysallis/pseuds/khrysallis
Summary: They're nothing but a group of human experiments the government is trying to eliminate, but they'll show the government what a terrible idea it is to have created them at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written anything half decent, ha ha. This fic was inspired by the Monster MV, and has been infused with elements from Lotto and the Pathcode teasers. I may or may not expand on this world in the future; we'll see in time.
> 
> This is Minseok-centric, by the way. Relationships are all merely hinted. Oh, also there's a mention of character death.

The roar of the truck's engine is almost deafening against the silence within, punctuated only by the jangle of metal chains whenever the vehicle crosses a particularly bumpy stretch of road. There are eight of them in the back, but no one's saying a word; they're probably barely even breathing, gaze fixated on the floor beneath them, thinking about what exactly had gone wrong. 

They were supposed to be free, all of them. Separated and scattered in various corners of the world, because putting any two of them together would cause their powers to resonate with each other, creating a supernatural phenomenon which was hard to miss. But at least they were _free_ , finally escaping from the confines of the underground laboratory where they'd been treated like lab rats for years, injected with various substances which were meant to reengineer their genes and provide them with the abnormal powers they had come to possess in the end. And the humans who pioneered these experiments actually grew _afraid_ of them, and tried to dispose of them once and for all when they realised that their experiments were no longer under their control. 

Minseok still remembers the last time they'd been together like this, seated around the dining table reserved especially for them back in the research lab. The mood was somber, just like now, but at least they were free of a multitude of cuts and bruises which now mar their features. That had been during a time where all of them were still allowed to mingle freely in the designated space, away from the cells which held them individually for most of the day when they weren't required for more bizarre tests, and they'd grasped the opportunity to engineer their eventual escape from the research laboratory – thanks to the illusion created by Baekhyun, they managed to fool the guards stationed in the room into thinking that they were merely having a peaceful dinner together just as they always did, when they were actually discussing about ways to break out of their prison. 

It was wholly the laboratory staff's mistake for removing the cuffs meant to contain their powers, for thinking that they were actually _docile_ and submissive. 

They succeeded, of course, and with Jongin's help, they had scattered themselves in various localities around the world, vowing to never come together again unless the need arises. It was a course of action which they had decided was for the best, even if it destroyed romances which have already been formed between them, leaving behind an endless pining which could never be fulfilled – but they all agreed that it was a sacrifice they had to make in exchange for their liberation. 

Shame their freedom wasn't long-lived.

Ten of them had escaped. Eight of them were caught again. 

It was five in the morning in Berlin when it all went downhill. Minseok had barely even warmed up the seat of his sofa, fresh from a night of binge drinking with his newfound friends, when the anomaly had happened. He'd been watching a rerun of some drama, rapidfire German blasting from the speaker of his television set and making his already-throbbing head hurt worse, when the images on the screen suddenly turned static. At first, Minseok thought it was mere service disruption – it happened far too frequently, considering his inability to afford a proper antenna for decent reception. But no matter what he did, Minseok couldn't get the broadcast to return, and just when he was on the verge of giving up, a message flashed across his screen.

**We've found you** , it had said, and Minseok's insides immediately froze, knowing exactly who it was. His fear had automatically triggered his dormant powers, turning the glass of water he'd been drinking into solid ice, and Minseok had dropped the object onto the wooden floorboard with a loud thud when he realised what had happened. It took him all but a minute to leap out of his sofa, a chill running down the length of his spine when he felt himself being watched through the windows, and he'd pulled the blinds shut before throwing himself out the door and down the stairs, not even caring that he was making a ruckus at fuck-o'clock in the morning. It didn't matter if his neighbours cursed him to the deepest pits of hell. It wasn't as though Minseok could return to this quaint apartment of his again, anyway. 

Unfortunately for him, Minseok hadn't been able to make it past four blocks before someone barrelled into him from behind, sending him sprawling across the pavement and scraping his palms in the process. The instinct to activate his powers was back in an instant, and Minseok did precisely that, muscle memory kicking in as he turned around to face his assailant. Just as the first shards of ice formed on the tips of his fingers, however, a metal cuff was immediately fastened around his wrist, and whatever small bits of energy which were being channeled to his right hand ceased to exist at once. 

_We've come prepared, Ninety-nine; we are not foolish enough to let the likes of you walk around with the ability to use your powers_ , the masked man had sneered, and Minseok's eyes had gone very wide when he found himself surrounded by even more masked men within the next minute. Any effort in resisting on Minseok's part was met with brute force, leaving Minseok bruised and battered and drained by the end of it, before a truck pulled up right beside the group. Minseok couldn't even find it in him to fight back as they hauled him onto the vehicle. From Berlin, they'd sent Minseok back to South Korea on a chartered flight, handcuffs firmly around his wrist and a blindfold fastened around his eyes. He was lucky to have been left alone without a gag, considering how quiet he was throughout the journey, until they had touched down in Incheon and Minseok found himself shoved into the back of yet another truck parked in the private hangar, only to meet the surprised gaze of his brothers. 

"Your thoughts are too loud again, Minseok," a soft voice comes from his right just then, followed by a gentle hand on his intertwined ones, interrupting him from his recollection. Minseok traces the voice to its owner, forcing a smile when he meets even gentler eyes belonging to Junmyeon. To Minseok, Junmyeon had always been a secret source of comfort in more ways than one, and he's hit with a pang of nostalgia as he allows himself to melt into Junmyeon's side. Ever so strong and dependable Junmyeon is, despite his small frame. Minseok may be the eldest of the group, but Junmyeon has always been the calm one, the thinker and the strategist. There are times when Junmyeon would show his weak side, of course, though only before Minseok and no one else, and for that Minseok feels privileged. 

If there's one thing Minseok feels glad about, it's being reunited with Junmyeon at long last. He's missed Junmyeon's warmth, and Minseok has to hold back a contented sigh when that warmth seeps through their tattered clothing and caresses his skin. The reality that they're all held captive in the back of an army truck doesn't escape him; nor does the fact that their hands are bound with metal cuffs which attenuate their power, rendering them basically defenseless. 

Minseok is dead sure that the scientists will put them to sleep and find a new way to exert complete control over their consciousness when they arrive at the lab. All hopes of escaping seems so bleak, now, and the craftiest member of their group isn't around either. 

A wry smile manages to find its way onto Minseok's lips once again. At least Baekhyun didn't allow himself to be caught. With Baekhyun out there, hopefully the scientists' twisted human experimentation would be brought to light, and the government would then go down in flames for attempting to engineer an army fleet of superhumans. 

"Sorry, I'm just angry," Minseok says, exhausted, and he leans back against the cold metal bars of their temporary cage and closes his eyes, swallowing hard against the odd lump of relief-resentment lodged in his throat. Relief, because Junmyeon doesn't seem to have been injured much, apart from the scratch on the bridge of his nose and several other visible bruises. Resentment, because how _dare_ they lay their hands on Junmyeon.

As though sensing his thoughts, Junmyeon rubs his thumb against Minseok's knuckles, gradually dispersing that negative energy with his mere presence, until Minseok's annoyance is nothing more than a weak flicker in his head. "Aren't we all?" Junmyeon asks, voice loud in the enclosed compartment even though he's merely whispering, and everyone turns to look at him. "After all that we've been through, all the sacrifices made just to escape, and we're back at square one." 

"I don't understand; how did they find us, anyway?" Jongdae speaks up just then, and Minseok shifts a little in his position, noticing that the man still has his head held high, even though his injuries are among the worst. Jongdae's pride is one thing that they'll never beat out of him; Minseok smiles at the thought. He can imagine Jongdae calmly sipping on a glass of wine as the government's covert team converge upon him, before unleashing a thunderstorm in the room with a nonchalant snap of his fingers. 

"Someone sold us out," Jongin tells them, and there are collective, horrified gasps from all around. Minseok doesn't want to point fingers, seeing that all but two are back in this shithole, though it's a tough task to accomplish. The resentment boils once again. 

"It's not Baekhyun, is it?" Chanyeol croaks, hopeful yet broken at the same time. Minseok didn't know it was even possible to sound anything like that. Then again, Chanyeol had been – _is still_ – in love with Baekhyun. He doesn't blame Chanyeol for reacting like that. Minseok winces on Chanyeol's behalf when the streetlights streaming in through the window momentarily illuminate his face and reflects the extent of Chanyeol's bruises. There's no doubt Chanyeol had fought their captors with everything he had. Even the hem of his clothes are singed. 

"We don't know for sure," Jongin says, and Minseok can see the way Chanyeol's knuckles are turning white from being clenched much too hard. "There's two of us who weren't caught, and it's–"

"–Baekhyun and Zitao." Sehun replies briefly, as though the fact isn't already glaring enough for everyone to see. The bruise on the corner of his mouth stands out starkly against his pale skin, and again Minseok bristles within at the rough handling. They all dote on the youngest of the group a lot, and despite Sehun's many protests that he can stand on his own feet, Minseok doesn't think that aspect of them is going to change. 

That's when Minseok catches on the bitterness in Sehun's voice, and he frowns at the man. "You know something we don't."

There's a long, weary sigh that escapes Sehun's cracked lips, and he averts his eyes from the rest of the group, as though it would alleviate the scrutiny. It doesn't. "Jongin isn't the only one who knows all of our exact locations." 

A loud bang of bone against metal from the far end of the truck, a result of Jongin's elbow colliding with the door in his haste to straighten himself. A soft hiss is the only indication from the younger man that he's in pain. Beside Minseok, Junmyeon turns to look at Jongin curiously. "What does that mean?" 

Knowing that he can no longer run from the impending interrogation, Jongin exhales quietly. "Both Zitao and Baekhyun knew where we all were. Zitao, because he'd helped me freeze time so that I could transport all of you without being seen. Baekhyun, on the other hand, seems to have been infused with Luhan's power when Luhan–"

_Died_ , the word hangs thick in the air, though Minseok doesn't think anyone else would be as hard hit as Jongin is by Luhan's death. 

"So Baekhyun can read our minds?" Chanyeol asks, a little mystified, a little afraid at the hidden implication, the silent _what if Baekhyun was the one who betrayed us?_ left unasked. Jongin nods subtly, and collective intakes of breath fills the cramped up space again, now tinged with the metallic smell of dried blood and betrayal. No one expected the scientists to do such a thing, harvesting one of their subjects' powers and injecting it into another. One power is already difficult enough to control, let alone two. 

"One of them sold us out?" Junmyeon echoes again, disbelieving, and Jongin regretfully nods. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, yes. There's just no other way for the lab to find us all, without spending _years_ to search for us," Jongin confirms. "I heard the news of strange happenings in Barcelona, where segments of the city would find themselves in a time loop for no particular reason, right before I was caught. That's where Zitao was, and it doesn't make sense that he's not locked up here with us." 

"Baekhyun sent me a message, saying that he was being followed–" Chanyeol admits, though no one's really surprised by the confession. They all knew that Chanyeol and Baekhyun would find a way to stay in contact, despite the distance that separates them. "–I haven't heard from him since. I just–"

Before Chanyeol can even finish his sentence though, the driver of their truck suddenly slams on the brakes, sending all of them crashing towards the front divider of the truck. The jarring screech of tyres against asphalt is loud in Minseok's ears, and the noise seems to last forever until a deafening silence submerges the interior of the truck, punctuated only by short intakes of breath from all of them. Through the small window on the divider, Minseok realises that they're already in a warehouse, and it's not just _any_ warehouse. It's a part of the laboratory they'd escaped from. 

Minseok remembers it all too well. They did, after all, make an escape through this unguarded conduit several months ago, hearts pounding and wild grins on their faces. 

His heart is still pounding hard against his chest as he hears the front door of the truck opening, and the echoing footsteps can be heard clearly even in the truck. The lone soldier doesn't come around to the back to unlock the temporary jail, however, walking instead towards the main electrical supply box located in the nearest corner of the warehouse. Rather than switching on the lights, the man flicks several levers off, before shooting mischievously at the closed circuit cameras with an imaginary gun. Minseok can only guess that the soldier had deactivated the security cameras, but _why_? 

He gets his answer soon enough, when the helmeted soldier trudges back to the truck and throws the doors open. Jongin, who's seated the closest to where the soldier is, actually flinches away, probably from fear that he'll be beaten up again while being completely defenceless. Minseok bristles at the thought. Trust the humans to be complete cowards when it comes to their own creations. 

Unexpectedly, Kyungsoo is the first to speak up, and his words are nothing short of venomous, a silent promise to make the soldier pay if he ever dared to hurt Jongin. "Keep your filthy hands off him. He's done nothing, and we can walk perfectly fine on our own."

"Seriously, you can stop being so hostile now. I'm not going to do anything to you," the soldier says, laughing, and Minseok frowns. His voice sounds familiar– 

"I'm offended that you can't even recognise me. So much for being friends, assholes," the soldier says again, and Minseok's eyes widen when he reaches up to rip the helmet off, only to reveal _Baekhyun_ 's grinning face from behind. 

"Baekhyun?!" They chorus, confused, because Baekhyun isn't supposed to be here. Minseok hadn't felt Baekhyun's presence throughout their ride from the airport; it really doesn't make sense. 

"Yes, it does, Minseok hyung," Baekhyun speaks up, and it's then that Minseok realises that what they said was true – they _did_ transfer Luhan's mind-reading powers to Baekhyun. "The handcuffs they put on you – they function to suppress our connection to each other, so that our powers won't be able to resonate with one another and trigger something catastrophic. So yeah."

"I don't get it," Junmyeon says, though his voice is laced with more wonderment than actual apprehension. "How did you–"

"–get myself into this?" Baekhyun gestures at his outfit, the mischievous grin never really falling from his face as he helps their brothers out of their handcuffs. Minseok smiles when he feels the static energy around them increase in intensity, and flexes his fingers as he anticipates the feeling of ice on the tips of his digits once again. "Turns out that Luhan's powers also included mind control, which sure as hell was convenient when they cornered me, considering how the retrieval team wasn't briefed properly about me."

Jongdae, who'd been uncannily silent for the last ten minutes even as Baekhyun unlocks his handcuffs for him, tilts his head to the side once he's been freed. "So you controlled their minds and fooled them into thinking that you're a soldier for the government?"

Baekhyun measures Jongdae's expressions for a short moment, probably having read what Jongdae had been thinking about just minutes earlier, about Baekhyun possibly betraying them in exchange for his permanent freedom, before he grins again. "Basically, yeah. I knew what they were planning on doing, and I knew I had to get you guys out no matter what." 

Minseok knows that all is well when Jongdae and Baekhyun exchange a high five. 

"I don't know about you guys–" Kyungsoo cracks his knuckles and looks at the rest of them once they've all been freed, "–but I'm really itching to give someone a piece of my mind." The bruise on his cheek seems particularly menacing beneath the dim lights, though it's nothing compared to the murderous light flickering in his eyes. Minseok can almost taste Kyungsoo's intent in the air, and he honestly feels the same. There's no way Minseok is going to let this incident go down without retaliating, especially after seeing the various states of injuries his brothers have gone through. 

Even the usually peace-loving Junmyeon steps up to the foreground, lacing his fingers with Minseok's in the process. Minseok can feel the anger in the way Junmyeon's holding onto him, and he squeezes back, a silent reassurance that Junmyeon's not alone in this.

"Let's show them what a bad idea it was to bring us all back together again."


End file.
